The Tree House: London's pioneering zero-carbon house

The Tree House: London's pioneering zero-carbon house

Will Anderson was studying for an MA in energy and sustainable design when he began his ambitious self-build, zero-carbon home in Clapham, south London, in 2004. It was completed in 2006 and is a prime example of best practice in green building. His Diary of an Eco-builder is available from Green Books and catalogues the whole building process and the architecturally stunning final result

November 10, 2004: After the site is cleared for construction and foundations laid on virgin ground, heat pump pipes are inserted into boreholes 25m deep. Coolant is pumped through the pipes, drawing energy from the Earth to heat the house

September 7, 2005: The crucial final layer of the roof is installed: the photovoltaic power station. Installers from Solar Century prepare the specially designed rain screen that the PV modules are fixed to

Bathroom: The bath was salvaged and Kirkstone slate was used for the walls and floors. Kirkstone quarrymen rebuild the fell behind them to protect the landscape in the Lake District national park. Hot water is provided by a combination of the heat pump and a solar thermal panel and water consumption for the house is low: only 60 litres a person a day compared with an average of 150 litres a person a day

Study: Huge windows allow maximum daylight to pour into the room at the top of the three-storey house. The parquet flooring was salvaged and laid by Will Anderson himself, which he says was a 'nightmare' job